Before climbing on the bus Thursday morning for a west-bound trek to Cranbrook, B.C., Regina Pats head coach Dave Struch was already convinced his team was headed in the right direction.

Although the results haven’t necessarily shown it, Struch believes the Pats have some momentum on their side heading into Friday’s WHL clash with the Kootenay Ice — the second stop on a three-game road trip.

“Our victories right now are coming from the daily process,” explained Struch, whose team is slated to get Jake Leschyshyn and Sergei Alkhimov back from one-game suspensions on Friday.

“We talk about winning and getting better every day. That is what these guys are doing. It’s just a matter of time before the reward is a win.”

The Pats (1-6-0) opened their first road trip of the season on Wednesday in Lethbridge, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Hurricanes.

Despite the outcome, Struch got just about everything he wanted from virtually every player on the team — minus a victory.

“It was one of our best full 60(-minute efforts) and we definitely deserved the win,” he said. “The guys did everything that is asked of them. A couple breaks (went against them). We missed a couple blocked shots. That’s two goals there and then one goes off a linesman right into the middle of the ice where they score their fourth.”

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to secure a win for the Hurricanes.

“I don’t think there was much of the game where we didn’t outplay them,” Struch continued. “The effort, the physicality (was there). We tried to make plays, (had) good puck management. We’ve talked about it a number of times, the way the guys have carried themselves, the energy, the work ethic. It has all been there.

“We knew it was going to be tough. It just goes to show how tough it is to get a W but our guys have done such a good job.”

Moral victories don’t count in the standings, but Struch is hoping his players “stick with it” so their efforts can pay off down the road. It’s all part of the process for a young team in the midst of a painful rebuild after playing host to the 2018 Memorial Cup.

“The frustration for us is when we see the players and their efforts and they deserve more,” Struch noted. “We want them to have that (winning) feeling. They deserve to have more wins. They’ve done the right things to have more wins. There’s no question there are mistakes but every team is making those mistakes.”

The Pats made a few too many in their previous game against the Brandon Wheat Kings, who skated to a 7-3 win at the Brandt Centre. Most of the damage was done during a seven-minute stretch in the second period, which shows just how small the margin for error can be for a struggling club — especially against quality opponents.

“We played good against Brandon in the first period and third period and the second half of the second,” continued Struch. “You can even go back to Moose Jaw (a 2-1 loss to the Warriors on Sept. 30). We played really good against Moose Jaw. But in the last two games we’ve won five of six periods and that’s a big positive.”

Now they have to build upon those results — starting Friday versus Kootenay (3-2-0). The Pats conclude their trip on Sunday afternoon against the winless Calgary Hitmen (0-5-1).

“At the end of the day the win for us is going to be getting up in the morning and guys coming downstairs into the (hotel) lobby and getting on the bus with a good attitude, ready to travel to Cranbrook,” Struch added. “(Then they have to) get on the ice, have a good, solid practice and spend some good time together. We have to grow together so we can get a win on Friday night.”

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